Kiku and the American Cinema
by kimmyshhhh
Summary: Alfred invites Kiku over for a movie, but Kiku doesn't want to come. Can he let Al down?


**Spare me, this is my first fanfiction…**

"…_but the Russians don't want peace. They never wanted a united world… A world of freedom, equality, and peace… Even now, with those aliens…those blood-craving mutants vaporizing everyone in sight…All those heartless fiends want is to spill the blood of American…"_

On and on, the movie played for exactly one hour, fifty-six minutes, and thirty-two seconds. Kiku had counted the every second of the agonizing war movie. He sat silently, watching the digital clock below the television, and occasionally checking behind him for Ivan, who could have creeped in at any moment. (It may have seemed impossible, but Kiku couldn't be too sure that Ivan hadn't heard the insults against his people from somewhere in the snowy mountaintops.)

Kiku hated this movie. He hated all of Alfred-san's movies. Hated every action-filled second of explosions, "cruel Russians", "killer aliens", scruffy American soldiers with dark secrets, random plot twists, and, not to mention, the shameless sex scenes. He despised absolutely every bit of the American cinema, but he didn't hate Alfred.

Kiku couldn't muster up the courage to tell him. He couldn't look into Alfred's child-like, wide eyes and tell him no. He couldn't calmly, but firmly just tell Alfred the truth, even if he wasn't face to face.

"Hey Japan!" Alfred greeted through the telephone, earlier that same day. His voice was so light, airy, and carefree, despite the many economic problems he had been facing lately.

"Good morning America-san," Kiku put down the ballpoint pen he was using to do his morning Sudoku. He never minded when Alfred called. He enjoyed hearing from his enthusiastic friend, rather than the constant complains from other nations. (Why, it was just last night that Turkey had come over, interrupting Kiku's sushi dinner, complaining heartily about Greece.) "How are you doing today?"

"Awesome!" Kiku flinched as Alfred nearly yelled into the speaker. Something had made USA excited today, and he had a felling of what it was. Kiku didn't like it. "I just rented this AWESOME movie from Blockbuster! It's got aliens, and heroes, and Russians, AND HEROES, AND WAR, AND HEROES, AND EXPLOSIONS AND HEROES AND ALIENS, AND DID I SAY HEROES?!?!"

"Yes, Alfred-san, you said heroes," Kiku sighed. He knew what was coming next. Alfred stopped inviting any other nation to his movies. Kiku was the only one who came. He was the only one who could bring himself to say no.

"Just the kind you like, Kiku! Come on over and we'll watch it together."

_How can Alfred-san be so clueless?,_ Kiku thought. _No, this is no fault of his. This is my own doing. _

"Listen, Alfred-san. I-well…" Kiku struggled to find the right words. _How can I tell him, without hurting him?_ "You see, I am very busy today."

He was reduced to lying. It pained him to much to tell the harsh truth to someone so young… so naïve… so easily hurt. Kiku felt the need to protect him from the hard truth, even if it needed to be said. If it was anyone else, **anyone**, this would have been easy, but Alfred? No, he did not take rejection well. Last time Arthur refused to go out for burgers with him, he sulked around Kiku's house for days. Kiku hated to lie, but the truth was much too harsh.

"Oh… It's okay… I understand…" Alfred's voice disappointed. Kiku could almost see his blue eyes, big and round with dejection, magnified by his glasses, liked a small, stray kitten. He could almost see the way his head bent low, Nantucket jutting up into the air, like it always did when he was sad. Almost see his tacky brown shoes gently kicking at the ground.

_You can do it Kiku. Think, you'll be free from this shameless action movie all day… but what about Alfred-san?_

"It's only because Im Yong Soo has been pestering me and…" His voice trailed off as he realized how bad of a lie that was. Alfred sighed.

"No,no. Don't worry about me… I'll just call Arthur," they both knew that England would never sit through one of those movies. Kiku couldn't take it anymore. He knew Alfred would spend the day alone, if he didn't come. The sight of Alfred-san alone, sulking around his house, was worse to bare than a hundred shameless sex scenes. _One more movie cannot be that bad._

"Sounds like a… an "awesome" movie. I- when do you want me over?"

There the two nations sat, on Alfred's couch, nearly two hours into the movie. It was near the end of another terrible American war movie.

_I could be playing with my kittens now._ Kiku thought. _I could be doing Sudoku. I could be doing anything right now. But… _

A smile slowly made it's way onto his lips, as he watched Alfred hang on every word that he American leader said. His smile widened when Alfred reached out and pulled Kiku's closer to him by the arm, squeezing it with all his might, due to the suspense of the movie. Alfred's eyes sparkled with disbelief and he bit his lower lip harder with every line from the television screen. He looked up into this face, grinned, and slightly shook his head.

_I could be doing anything right now, but, as much as it pains me to say, I would much rather be here…_

Then, Kiku rested his head on Alfred-san's strong shoulders and closed his eyes, listening to the shudders and gasps from America. With the next sudden plot twist; Alfred jumped and grabbed Kiku by the shoulders, pulling him tighter. Japan shifter a little closer and enjoyed the moment.


End file.
